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Wrong Impression?

Sandra smiled as she sat on the sofa opposite Clarky. She loved coming to Gerry's afterwork. His house was far more homely than hers and he always made her welcome. He loved having the team around. It was obvious the way everyone was invited. He should have been a top chef rather than a copper she thought as Emily could be heard arguing with her father in the kitchen. Clarky shook his head.

"You'd think she'd know not to argue with him when he's cooking" Clarky laughed as Sandra nodded. Emily was too much like her father for her own good.

"Jack and the others should be here soon" She answered the young PC. He smiled, he genuinely liked the UCOS team and took every chance to work with them that he could. He nodded as they heard Gerry and Emily voice a difference of opinion over the curry sauce. The doorbell rang as Sandra poured herself another large red wine.

"Esther called, she's meeting Brian here. Will you get that Sandra?" Gerry called. Sandra rolled her eyes and walked towards the doorway. She smiled as she opened the door to Esther who looked far from happy.

"Hi" Sandra smiled as she stepped back to let Esther enter. "Esther?"

"Brian is drinking again" Esther announced as she gave Sandra a dirty look.

"No" Sandra stared "Brian has been working so hard recently to stay clean. He's on tablets so that he can't drink isn't he?" Sandra just didn't see how the team could have missed Brian being in trouble. They had been so careful since his last stint in rehab. Gerry appeared in the hallway behind Sandra, carrying a teatowel as Esther spoke.

"He has not been taking them"

"Not again!" Gerry swore profusely.

"Yes again! No wonder you all missed it" Esther shook her head.

"Eh?" Gerry asked as Sandra glowed red.

"Well, if even Sandra has become a lush" Sandra's eyes filled with tears. Anyone else and she knew she would have spat a comment back at them. But Esther was right.

"Now 'ang on a minute" Gerry immediately wanted to protect Sandra.

"No Gerry" Sandra stepped past the older woman "She's right. I told her I would keep my eye on Brian but clearly I let you all down" She sighed "Again".

She slipped past Esther and walked out in to the night with out a look back.

"Sandra!" Gerry yelled as she kept walking "Sandra!"

It was clear she was either choosing to ignore him or she couldn't hear him any more. He swore again as he heard Esther tell him Sandra had a guilty conscious and he should let her go. He ran a hand through his blonde/grey hair. Turning to Esther he bit back a curse.

"Brian is not drinking again"

"I know my own husband thank you Gerry"

"Yeah? Well you know in that case that he is not drinking and that he messed up his prescription. He got two bottles of pills on the go. And the reason he ain't 'ere yet is coz I told 'im to get to the pub to book the room for your wedding anniversary" He watched as the shock crossed Esther's face. "Sandra is no lush"

"He's what?"

"Trying to do something nice for you"

"Oh" Esther looked away as Jack joined them.

"Yeah oh" Gerry huffed "C'mon Jack, we got to find Sandra"

Jack wondered what he had walked in to. He followed Gerry back to his car as Gerry called over his shoulder that Emily had to finish cooking on her own.

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Jack drove along the deserted London streets as Gerry explained why Sandra was so upset. Jack bit his lip, he had to tell Sandra about the theory he had come up with while he was talking to Mary. The fact that Sandra seemed to have gone off in a huff concerned him but then she was a grown woman and more than capable of taking care of herself. Gerry huffed, he was in desperate need of a cigarette but knew he couldn't.

"Was she drunk?" Jack asked

"No"

"Are you sure? I mean it wouldn't be the first time you have covered for Sandra drinking too much" Jack stated.

"What? Because we didn't tell Brian we found her trying to do 'erself in?" Gerry couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yes." Jack sighed "Look I have known her since she was a child. Sandra Pullman won't let anyone know that she isn't coping but I think this case is too close to home for her. She has been ill, you said yourself you caught her mid faint"

"Yeah, look I admit this case has taken it out of 'er" Gerry sighed as Jack turned the corner.

"About this case" Jack started. "I think I have an idea, but we're going to have to run it past Sandra first"

Gerry remained quiet as Jack turned the car on to the main road.

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Sandra had to get away from the team. Brian is drinking again? He can't be. Can he? When? Well, you're not with him all the time are you? You're their boss not their bleeding mother. Sandra chastised herself as she walked along the cold London streets. She didn't want to go home, she couldn't go back to Gerry's, not with Esther there accusing her of turning Brian back in to a drunk. It isn't fair, we have been so careful with him since his last stay in rehab. Is she right? How did we miss it? Before Sandra realised where she was she had reached the police station. Shaking her head she realised how ironic it was that she would rather be at work than be at home. As Fran the cleaning woman walked out of her office carrying a bin bag Sandra wondered if she should ring Gerry. He would be worrying about her. It seemed they all spent too much time worrying about her these days. Well, sod that. Can't have them worrying about me. It's my job to worry about them.

Sandra sat at her desk and turned her computer on as an idea began to form.

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"Ok, so Sandra answered the door to Esther who promptly told her that Brian was drinking again because his pills hadn't been touched and he was seen coming out of the pub?" Jack pulled the car in to the police station car park.

"Something like that" Gerry huffed as he undid his seatbelt.

"Why was he in the pub?" Jack stepped out of the car.

"To book the room for an anniversary party" Gerry explained "I sent him there. Not that Esther believes me"

"A woman disbelieving you? I can't think why" Jack laughed as they walked across to the station.

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Sandra read the email from PC MacGregor and sent her reply. There was nothing to suggest that the errant security guard had gone to Scotland but it was a possibility. She tapped her fingers knowing that there was little chance that the police man would reply that night. She sighed as she wondered if she could follow up her hunch. She was just about to call a taxi when Jack and Gerry walked back in to the outer office.

"What are you doing here?" She snapped as Gerry looked relieved.

"Looking for you, just saw Fran she said you were in here" He answered

"Where's Brian?"

"At my house, trying to convince Esther that he isn't drinking again and that you are not a lush"

"Thanks for that Gerry" She folded her arms across her chest as she watched him look contrite. "For your information, that was my first drink since you barged in to my house that night"

"Good"

"Right"

"Well"

"Please" Jack knew how childish they could both be when they were hurt. He knew Gerry had been worried about Sandra and was still upset that he hadnt noticed how low she had been until the night she had nearly drunk herself to death. Sandra just didn't seem to realise how much the team cared about her.

"Sorry" They both mumbled and Jack was reminded about how he sometimes thought of them all as naughty children.

"I have an idea. It seems the whole case falls on finding this security guard. Sarah is dead, the Farquar children were just kids at the time and the mother is a drunkard. Tom has brought the case to Strickland and I think that gives him a decent alibi" Jack explained

"He did seem genuinely upset that Sarah died" Sandra watched as Gerry nodded.

"So I contacted the CSA, see if they have an address for David. See if he is paying maintance for the little boy" Gerry and Sandra exchanged glances.

"I just emailed Scotland" Sandra explained "And asked forensics to relook at some stuff. Apparently the painting has been doctored to make it look cheep"

"So what do we do now?" Gerry was slightly put out by the sudden change in direction his friends were taking.

"Pull in the girlfriend, see if she really has seen her kid's dad" Sandra watched as Gerry nodded. "Oh and get Brian back here. I want him to look over those files."

"Sandra?"

"I want this case finished. This Dave bloke has eluded us long enough. I want him here as soon as possible Jack. This case has gone on long enough. I want to know who took those paintings and who threw Sarah Smith in the river. I want to know now" Sandra walked back in to her office as Jack and Gerry exchanged glances.

"So, do you want to ring Brian then?" Gerry asked as Jack rolled his eyes.

A/N Thanks for the reviews. Not much left now :D